Mountain peatland ecosystems are unique islands of biodiversity, hosting endangered, vulnerable, and protected plants and animals. In addition, these ecosystems constitute important natural carbon stores. Their stratigraphy can be used to reconstruct the development of these ecosystems as well as the impact of various human activity over millennia. To examine the dynamics of an ombrotrophic peatland (Odersprungmoor) ecosystem in the Harz Mts. (Germany) in relation to environmental changes, fire, pollution and human activity, we have undertaken high-resolution analyses of plant macrofossils, testate amoebae, macrocharcoal morphologies, non-destructive X-Ray fluorescence and carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) stable isotopes, and bulk density, combined with radiocarbon dating (AMS). Our study revealed that: i) the pristine plant populations composed mainly by Sphagnum fuscum and Sphagnum rubellum were replaced by Sphagnum medium/divinum since the Middle Age (ca. 600 cal yr BP) presumably due to pollution deposition. Hence we suggest that i) bogs in the Harz Mts. might have lost their natural character, and that oligotrophic Sphagnum species populations have either diminished or were replaced by vascular plant populations, ii) long-term carbon accumulation rates were similar to those from northern hemisphere lowland peatlands, and changing rates over time may be linked to changes in plant composition and water table depth, iii) fire episodes, which intensified during hydrological disturbances, partly impacted plant succession, iv) Eriophorum vaginatum is a good indicator of local hydrological disturbances in mountain bogs, v) despite lowering of the water table depth during the last decades, Sphagnum rubellum re-appeared at the sampling site, vi) decomposition coincided with higher N:P ratios while phosphorus got enriched at the peatland surface, vii) δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N were not related to average reconstructed water levels, but to the degree of decomposition and the vegetation composition, viii) we see strong indications of a self-regeneration process leading to expansion of oligotrophic Sphagnum species in the bogs of the in bogs of the Harz Mts.

山地泥炭地生态系统是独特的生物多样性岛屿，拥有濒危、脆弱和受保护的植物和动物。此外，这些生态系统构成了重要的天然碳储存库。它们的地层学可用于重建这些生态系统的发展以及数千年来各种人类活动的影响。研究 Harz Mts 中的 ombrotrophic 泥炭地 (Odersprungmoor) 生态系统的动态。（德国）在环境变化、火灾、污染和人类活动方面，我们对植物大化石、遗嘱变形虫、大炭形态、无损 X 射线荧光和碳（δ ¹³ C）和氮（ δ ¹⁵N) 稳定同位素和体积密度，结合放射性碳测年法 (AMS)。我们的研究表明：i)自中世纪（约 600 cal yr BP）以来，主要由Sphagnum fuscum和Sphagnum rubellum组成的原始植物种群被Sphagnum medium/divinum取代，这可能是由于污染沉积。因此，我们建议 i) Harz Mts 中的沼泽。可能已经失去了它们的自然特征，而那个贫营养的泥炭藓物种种群要么减少，要么被维管植物种群取代，ii) 长期碳积累率与北半球低地泥炭地相似，并且随时间变化的速率可能与植物组成和地下水位深度的变化有关，iii ) 火灾事件，在水文干扰期间加剧，部分影响植物演替，iv) Eriophorum vaginatum是山区沼泽局部水文干扰的良好指标，v) 尽管在过去几十年中地下水位深度降低，泥炭藓重新出现在采样点，vi) 分解与较高的 N:P 比同时发生，而磷在泥炭地表面富集，vii) δ ¹³ C 和 δ ¹⁵N 与重建的平均水位无关，但与分解程度和植被组成有关，viii) 我们看到了自我再生过程的强烈迹象，导致贫营养泥炭藓物种在哈茨沼泽中的沼泽中扩张山。